HANGZHOU, China: Proton's technology partner and stakeholder, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, recently took a group of Malaysian media on a tour of the group's cutting-edge facilities at the Geely Research Institute (GRI), as well as the Geely Powertrain Research and Development Center in Hangzhou Bay.
There is potential for Geely's developments in electric and hybrid powertrains, as well as architectures like the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) to be used in Proton's future product strategy.
Meanwhile, Zeekr’s Intelligent Factory was a technological marvel that showcased the Geely Group's agile and transparent production management systems.
The Zeekr Intelligent Factory is located in the Yangtze River Delta's famous 'Golden Southern Wing'.
Sitting in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, this large factory covers 46 acres.
Construction started in late 2018, and full operations began in the third quarter of 2021.
By focusing on intelligence, transparency, speed, and green initiatives, this is one of the first 'Future Factories' in Zhejiang Province.
It leverages technologies like 5G communications, AI, and big data to streamline and improve production.
The Zeekr Intelligent Factory features the world's first integrated large-scale smart production line for die casting.
It has one of the largest die-casting machines in the world, a colossal 7200-ton model.
With a full automation rate of 100%, the overall efficiency has been improved by over 30%.
This setup significantly lowers vehicle weight, saves costs, boosts efficiency, shortens the supply chain, and expands manufacturing scale.
The stamping section uses a versatile process where one mould can make multiple parts.
They employ a fully enclosed automatic five-sequence production line to meet various production needs. This approach greatly enhances production efficiency.
The welding section, often referred to as the "Black Lamp Factory," uses 703 flexible robots.
With a welding automation rate of 100%, the management here is truly "unmanned."
It can flexibly produce six models across three platforms, including various vehicle types such as sedans, SUVs, and MPVs.
The paint section adheres to globally leading environmentally-friendly processes and high-quality painting procedures.
They use China's first Dürr circular light corridor and leverage the latest generation of quality inspection technology.
The factory utilises a C2M complete customisation model in the final assembly section.
This way, they can offer millions of personalised configurations for a single model, satisfying the diverse needs of different users.
The Zeekr Intelligent Factory utilises technologies such as the Internet of Things and mobile Internet. These technologies enable intelligent data collection for improved quality management, achieving high-res, real-time, and visual monitoring.
This approach builds a stringent, comprehensive, and high-standard quality inspection system.
The factory implements a five-step quality inspection process.
This process includes commercial inspection lines, regulatory lines, road test lines, rain test lines, and PDI lines (Pre-Delivery Inspection).
Coupled with over a 3,000 item inspection checklist, the factory ensures superior product quality.
Current models produced in Zeekr Intelligent Factory:
- Zeekr: 001, 009
- Polestar: Polestar 4
- JIYUE: JI YUE 01, JI YUE 07
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